ADUK Archive

7db wrote:As I mentioned earlier in the the thread, size of overall wheel is limited by maximum, not minimum. They have the largest possible overall wheel, with a high profile and a small rim.

What does that tell you about the optimal set-up, that despite this they have huge wheels?

Aren't they also constrained by there being only one size of tyre available?

7db wrote:The rules are clear - four wheels only.

As I mentioned earlier in the the thread, size of overall wheel is limited by maximum, not minimum. They have the largest possible overall wheel, with a high profile and a small rim.

Big wheels play havoc with aerodynamics and create a lot of lift.

What does that tell you about the optimal set-up, that despite this they have huge wheels?

If you're talking about the six wheeled F1 car, it was many years ago, as I said, and the rules were obviously different at that time.

Presumably one of the reasons for trying the six wheeler was in an attempt to reduce frontal area.

I suppose it did reduce frontal area at the front, but they had such wide tyres at the back, there was still a huge rear frontal area there - if you know what I mean. (I wish I'd never started this!)

Best wishes all,
Dave.

jont wrote:

James wrote:On a stage 3 (remap / exhaust / intercooler) max speed becomes 173mph...

And the gearing is tall enough to support that? What does the gearing max out at?

400bhp shouldn't be impossible - Mitsubishi have been getting that sort of power out of their 2l engines in the evo, and I know there are MR2s around with similar power. Is it driveable every day in that state though?

I don't know, I have never tried it and I am not mechanically minded I am afraid. I have no plans to modify the car either... I struggle to afford the costs of running it as it is...

James wrote:... I struggle to afford the costs of running it as it is...

You may find it even more of a struggle when Gordon opens his Red Sandwich Box.


Mike

Yes, £400 a year road tax.

Bloody Vulture

Jay

nuster100 wrote:Yes, £400 a year road tax.

Bloody Vulture

Jay

I've got a people carrier (4 children) which comes under the higher CO2 emissions so I can look forward to the £400 road tax next year. I keep it in perpective though as a tank of fuel for the Previa costs £50 (every 7-10 days) and depreciation is usually the biggest motoring expense by far for all car owners - so an extra £200 PER YEAR is just not worth getting irate about.

Another incentive to keep older cars running as all of us with older cars (where tax isn't emissions based) as it's only gone up £5.

Or perhaps an incentive to SVA your gas guzzler.

As well as the tyres being quite wide, F1 cars only weigh 605Kg which also means they don't need much pressure to stay off the ground :-p

TripleS wrote:

7db wrote:The rules are clear - four wheels only.

As I mentioned earlier in the the thread, size of overall wheel is limited by maximum, not minimum. They have the largest possible overall wheel, with a high profile and a small rim.

Big wheels play havoc with aerodynamics and create a lot of lift.

What does that tell you about the optimal set-up, that despite this they have huge wheels?

If you're talking about the six wheeled F1 car, it was many years ago, as I said, and the rules were obviously different at that time.

Presumably one of the reasons for trying the six wheeler was in an attempt to reduce frontal area.

I suppose it did reduce frontal area at the front, but they had such wide tyres at the back, there was still a huge rear frontal area there - if you know what I mean. (I wish I'd never started this!)

Best wishes all,
Dave.

The 4 wheels rule was brought in specifically to ban this 6 wheeler. The reduction in air resistance of the smaller tyres, balanced by the better grip afforded by an extra pair was one incentive to create them, but back in those days the #1 concern (before which all others must bow) was the ground effect, which created quite insane downforce by channeling the airflow under the car to create a partial vacuum, maintained by skirts down the side of the car that actually dragged along the ground to keep the seal. The 6 wheeler arrangement was advantageous for that, and thereby provided a *lot* more grip at higher speeds. A secondary advantage they hadn't thought of before they drove the car on the track was that off the starting grid, the "front-rear" wheels layed down a layer of hot rubber which gave the "rear-rear" wheels extra grip, so it was actually pretty hot off the starting line, too

It wasn't long before the rules were changed so that ground effect was much harder to achieve and cars were allowed luxuries like suspension again...

HTH
Cheers & God bless
Sam "SammyTheSnake" Penny
(I read a book by Nicky Lauda once...)

Oh, was it a Lotus that had the fan on the back, to create more of a vacuum?

(way before my time, I know)

PeteG wrote:Oh, was it a Lotus that had the fan on the back, to create more of a vacuum?

(way before my time, I know)

No. I think it was a Brabham - and it was known as the Hoover!
It used to suck up a great deal of rubbish off the track - and throw it at following cars. It wasn't popular with the opposition.

Ah, I've just seen Dave's reply. I remember the Tyrrell, but had completely forgotten about the Williams. Interesting stuff though, thanks.

Dave - are you going to point out that things are not 'sucked' up. You create a low pressure zone, and normal air pressure pushed things into it?

Best wishes all,
Dave.

That explains a question I've had since I was 15...

So, db understands Suck, Blow but not the Squeeze, Bang

Felicitations on the anniversary btw

s

Fank you.

I was 18 before I understood those.

Brabham, of course.